My wife CeCe and I had good fun there this afternoon . Drinks were okay- food was good except fot the Coconut shrimp which were overcooked. Staff was great. Place has a nice vibe cept too much light Gonna give them another try tomorrow at their Cptn. Morgan special event.
Cheers

On 2017-04-28 07:48, RevBambooBen wrote:Here are a couple custom LeRoy OA masks now on the front door at the Royal Hawaiian.

When door is open

When door is closed

More soon!

Unfortunately the LeRoy carved mask on the top ( inside door) had to move due to
ADA laws. A panic bar/ door opener had to be installed. Looking for a new mask to fill the space.
Maybe 36"
_________________

Continues to look fantastic in there, Ben! Kudos to the RH owners for choosing to put dollars toward making the atmosphere in there even better.
I never thought thought I'd thank ADA requirements for leading to more Tiki, but in this case...alright!

I've been skeptical of that place since The Hula Girls played the first grand opening, like 7 years ago... I never went back until recently. My return was just okay. The bar program was kinda whatever and decor was slightly better than it was when we first played there... Though they still need to ditch the cigar smoking tiki mask.

But MAN... After listening to Adrian's podcast about the new owners digging in and researching Polynesian Pop and investing in what the Royal Hawaiian WAS... Bringing in cocktail consultants from 320 Main... and seeing what you have done to resurrect it, Ben, the place really looks to be turning into a tiki destination once again! Good work, bud!!

So much better than the design direction they had originally talked about in press releases... Taking it into a 'woodsy industrial' direction. Thank God THAT didn't happen.
_________________Spike
www.facebook.com/thehulagirls
www.thehulagirlsmusic.com

Went again last Sunday afternoon. Some large pieces carved by Bosco have been added since our last visit. Hasty (owner) is going all out to make the Royal Hawaiian a great tiki destination. I love this place!
Mahalo Hasty.

Dropped in last night and had a chance to sample the new cocktail menu. Jason from 320 Main appears to have done a very nice job in updating the program. A lot more classics are on the menu now, some with tasty new twists. His take on the Mai Tai is essentially a 1944 with an over-proof Demarara in the mix and a touch of pineapple juice (The joint is the "Royal Hawaiian" after all...) It's very full-flavored but still nicely balanced. A bit pricey at $13 but I have seen far worse cost-for-quality ratios. I didn't get a chance to sample the updated Lapu Lapu but I will assume that it is an improvement over the previous blend. (Kind of a bold gamble to update their signature drink and I give them points for their chutzpah.)

All of Bamboo Ben's recent work is really simply stellar, and while I still can't say that the place is "fully tiki," they seem to be wholeheartedly putting an honest effort into being a perfectly decent "tiki-esque" destination. (They were even playing some choice exotica in the bar area before the live-music started.)

I recommend folks who were previously put off to give them another chance if they happen to be in the area and have some decent cash to spend.